invading German army with the falling cry "Il me passeront pas" (They shall not pass) .
Some books of quotations attribute this to General Robert Nivelle (1856-1924) some to Henri Phillipe Petain (1856-
1951) others say it's a proverbial saying of an anonymous origin.
The quotation books do agree on who popularised the Spanish version, No Pasaran! Credit for that goes to the
fiery Soanish Communist party leader Dolores Ibarrui (1895-1989) whose popular nickname was La Pasionaria,
meaning "The Passion Flower".
On July 18, 1936, mutinous Spanish Army Troops, led by Generalissimo Franciso Franco, invaded the Spanish
mainland form Morocco, with the goal of overthrowing Spain's elected Republican government. This was the
beginning of the bloody Spanish Civil War.
The next day July 19" 1936, Ibarrui made a brief but eloquent speech on radio Madrid, she urged her fellow
citizens to put aside their political differences and join together to fight against Franco's Facist forces.
"young men, prepare for combat! she said.
Women...fight alongside
your men in order to defend the lives and
freedom of all your sons..All workers,all anti-
fascists must now look upon each other as
brothers in arms"
Ibarrui ended her speech with the famous words:
"The fascists shall not pass! THEY SHALL NOT PASS"!
No Pasaran became the motto of the anti-Fascist side during the Spanish Civi War, it is still used as a slogan for
other causes today.
Ultimately, the Spanish Fascista sis pass and took over the country in 1939, starting a long era of dictatorship
Abu Franco.
Ibarrui survived and continued on as a fervent supporter of Communism in other countries, first in France
and later in the Soviet Union.
In 1977, two years after Franco died, "La Pasionaria" returned to Spain, she remained active in politics there
as a member of parliament and honorary president of the Spanish Communist party until her death at the age
of 93! in 1989
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